Coffee, Cuisine & Corridors: Inside Opera HQ

Around 300 of browser developer Opera Software’s 750 staff work in its central Oslo headquarters, a non-descript concrete construction which inspired a sign inside the office: “Ugly building, beautiful browser”. But the office itself hides a bunch of developer-enticing treasures, including a massage room, a coffee machine with more than a dozen choices and even a ball pit for kids to play in.

Opera started out with just part of one floor and seven staff and has expanded to cover most of the building, which means it’s an often-confusing realm of corridors, stairwells and a surprising number of office printers. There’s plenty to keep the development team happy: the coffee machine was upgraded after complaints that the existing range wasn’t good enough, a massage therapist visits weekly, there’s an in-office gym and a playroom to keep kids entertained, and staff sometimes volunteer to cook their national cuisine (more than 50 nationalities are represented in the office). Check out the pictures below for a fuller view of the facilities. I can confirm that the bean bags are very comfortable.